


ice cream fixes everything

by pinkcygnet



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, now here we are, revolves around the maknae line, woke up one day thinking of skater yeojin and ice cream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-07-08 06:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19865365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkcygnet/pseuds/pinkcygnet
Summary: it's the start of a wonderful summer. yerim wants her teen romance to blossom, heejin wants peace and quiet, and hyejoo lowkey just wants someone to place her minecraft bed next to.





	1. two very berry waffle cones, please!

**Author's Note:**

> ...i just really wanted a maknae line focused fic okay so i started impulsively writing again and then slumped and then finally finished this part after a month later so if the ending to chapter one feels rushed im sorry, i exhausted my last three brain cells writing this uwu.

On her way home from her summer job, Yerim would always take the route through the park, especially on sunny days like this when it was best to walk under the comfort of the shade provided by the trees.

"Hahhh…"

Yerim felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek. She already tied her hair, put it into a pair of pigtails and jumped into some shorts, but there's just no beating the heat.

Still, she took long strides along the sidewalk, although it felt like her feet carried a bit of weight. One hand loosely gripped the strap of her backpack while the other hand was held up to her eyes. The trees may have provided shade, but rays managed to escape the gaps between the leaves.

The purple-haired girl silently hummed as she paced her steps so that she wouldn't land on any of the cracks of the pavement, a habit she'd carried over from her younger days, and it's likely that it won't go away anytime soon.

Other than the sound of the cars passing by on the main street, Yerim thought it would be another quiet walk back home, but the sound of leaves and twigs rustling get closer made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

Yerim stopped in her tracks, whipping her head around to find the source of the high-pitched yelp.

It was like time stopped. In a second, there was a figure mid in the air, and Yerim was sure she could've died from shock then and there.

"Agh!!"

When Yerim looked down, she sees a girl of a smaller stature on the ground, lying face flat. The stranger lets out a groan before pushing herself off the ground with two shaky hands. Just by her feet, there was a skateboard tipped onto its side and the wheels still rolled around.

Yerim rushed to help the girl up by her arm. "A-Are you okay?? That looked like quite the fall!" But instead, the girl held onto Yerim's hand, and the brunette jumped slightly at the contact.

Once the girl was back onto both feet, she dusted her knees and flashed Yerim a toothy smile.

"Oh, no problem here!" the girl exclaimed, "I'm pretty sure this isn't the first and last time this has happened."

"That… d-doesn't sound as good as you make it to be!!"

Now that the girl was standing right in front of her, Yerim could take a closer look at the girl's features. She had dark brown hair that curled at the ends with brown eyes to match. The checkered Old Skools that she wore were mismatched in colour, with one yellow and the other orange. It was a strange statement, Yerim thought, but it did fit the strange girl.

Yerim's brows raised when she noticed the lack of protection she wore despite the stunts.

"Do you not wear a helmet, or something?" Yerim asked. There was only a slight concern in her voice, but most of it was curiosity as to how the girl was still alive after that fall.

"Hah!" She throws a quick fist bump at her head. "Most people tell me that I've got a thick head!"

Maybe it was that toothy grin, but it was most likely that wink that she threw at Yerim that made her heart skip a beat. As ridiculous as it sounded, Yerim let out a laugh, and she couldn't help but smile herself. But their short time together was cut, well, short!

"Whoops! Wouldja look at the time, gotta blast!" the girl said as she rushed to pick up her skateboard and run away.

"Ah, wait--" Yerim had already extended her arm as if to reach out to the girl, but to do what, exactly? Perhaps Yerim would have at least liked to get her name. "Annnnd she's gone… huh."

A cute girl jumping out from behind the bushes out of nowhere. Now that was something Yerim didn't expect, especially on such a hot, mundane day.

The sun's heat wasn't the only thing that Yerim felt on her cheeks.

***

"Okay, but was she _cute cute_ , though?"

"Hyejoo--"

"What, Heejin, she's a skater girl, can I make it more obvious?? I smell rainbows, and a chance!"

She wasn't wrong. Other than the weird choice of shoes, the strange girl's outfit was pretty colourful and bright. The green beanie with big frog eyes would be real hard to miss, Yerim thought.

"But what does _cute_ cute even mean?? You're either cute or you're not, simple as that."

"Yeah, well I fall into the cute cute category."

"Dear God…"

Now that the image had resurfaced in Yerim's mind, she can't help but wonder who would wear a beanie and such oversized, layered clothing in that weather. Maybe she didn't have sweat glands.

"Let's calm down, you two." Yerim flopped onto her bed, belly first, and pulled a Kuromi plush close to her. A smile found its way onto her face as it usually did. "We only had like two minutes worth of a conversation, anyway."

"Sounds like someone wanted those two minutes to stretch," Hyejoo said, twirling blue-tipped strands of hair with a know-it-all tone. "Hey-- quit that!"

From beside, Heejin poked at Hyejoo's cheek with the rear of her pen. "Can you two focus on something other than girls for once? We have two whole months before we get right back into school and all those stressful stuff!"

"Bah, okay party-pooper… I'll just talk about _boys_ then."

"Now hey, I never said you should do that--"

"WAIT!" Yerim shot up from the bed, catching the girls from below the bed off guard. "I've never seen her around the area, what if that was a one time thing and I'll never see her again!"

The brunette was sent wailing into her pillow, kicking her bed aggressively.

Heejin rolled her eyes as she placed herself onto the edge of the bed. "Yerim… this is the third time you've said that since we got here and I'm this close to kicking you out of your own house."

Yerim abruptly stopped her little tantrum when she felt Heejin's firm grip on her shoulder. "I offer you guys hospitality and _this_ is how I'm being treated?!"

"Heej, just let her live out her angsty teen life for a bit. Better now than later," Hyejoo says. "See, the heart wants what it wants, and if Yerim's heart wants a cute skateboarder then we have to support her."

Ever since that fateful encounter, all that's been running through Yerim's mind was that skater girl. Her round eyes, small lips and face, soft looking cheeks that she just wanted to pinch, button nose, the multiple piercings on each ear… was that a conch piercing Yerim saw? Now that’s pretty wild.

"I can't help it! When I see a cute girl, I wanna squeeze her in my special Yerim Hugs!"

"But we're cute."

"Oh, Heejin… I meant by my standards."

"I--"

"HAH--! No, wait, yeah I'm part of we."

"WAIT!" Yerim shot up from the bed once more.

Heejin groaned loudly. "What now, Yerim?"

"What if," she starts, making rounded gestures with her arms, "I find that girl again and try to talk to her!"

“Don’t you think we should be getting the rest we needed? It’s literally only been two weeks since school ended.” Heejin slowly slid her body down as if she was melting, letting her limbs sprawl all over. "I don't want to spend my entire summer trying to go after girls."

“Don't be such a poop, Heejin! Why can't you just let a girl worry about her love life for once,” Yerim sighed dreamily.

Heejin throws the pen she used to poke Hyejoo with at the poor girl on the bed. “Girl, it’s only been more than an hour since we got here," she says as the other girl is trying to fight her back with a pillow. "And all we've been talking about is your love life."

A sigh was heard from beneath. "Oh, Heejin, by my observations, I've diagnosed our dear Yerim as infected with the notorious _love bug_ ."

"What's a love bug??" Heejin asked.

"It bites you!" Hyejoo pounces on the bed, shifting everyone's weight. "Then, it transfers this disease that causes the victim to succumb and become immensely infatuated with whomever they encounter in unconventional circumstances. There is also a known term called being _whipped_ ."

“The middle kind of sounds suspiciously specific.”

Yerim gasps loudly, and her eyes widened. "L-Love bug?"

"Come on, Yerim. You can't seriously believe--"

"Are there any other symptoms?!"

Heejin rolled her eyes so hard that she had to stop them from rolling all the way back. While Heejin grumbled under her breath, Yerim had rushed to crawl over to Hyejoo and roughly shook her by her shoulders.

"Ahem…" Hyejoo adjusted her pair of glasses using her middle finger. "There are quite a number of symptoms, Yerim."

"Hey, I was _just_ wearing my glasses, how'd you do that??" Heejin tried to snatch them back, but Hyejoo quickly pulled away.

"Forget that woman's blabber, Yerim, I'll tell you all you need to know about… _the bug_ ."

Yerim rapidly bobbed her head up and down, listening intently to whatever comes out of Hyejoo's mouth. Heejin had given up and laid herself out on the bed instead.

(Not that she wasn't going to listen to the other two’s conversation.)

"Now, the first symptom would be temporary paralysis."

"Temporary paralysis?"

"Indeed. When you finally get a good look at their faces, it’s like time stopped for a moment. That one second felt like five minutes, and all you could do was stare at their eyes."

Yerim hummed in agreement, her glittery purple pen gliding across the notebook.

"Are you taking notes??"

"Why wouldn't she take notes from Professor Ha, Miss Jeon? I have a PhD in relationships!"

If that gasp Yerim made earlier wasn't loud enough, then the gasp she made just now was definitely audible to anyone around. "A PhD! See, Heejin? Hyejoo isn't playing around!"

Heejin's nose scrunched in bewilderment, and she throws the bed covers over her head. "Hhh! You're all crazy!!"

With a clap, the attention returned to Hyejoo. "Great, now with our resident cynic gone, we can return to the lesson!" She stops for a moment to let Yerim recollect herself. "The second symptom to look out for is sudden stuttering."

"Sudden stuttering…" Yerim's pen gets back to work.

"It may not happen to everyone due to the difference in nature, but something that certainly happens is the fixation on the other's face." Hyejoo inches closer to Yerim. "So much so that the victim has lost the skill to breathe and their heart skips a beat." 

Yerim's pigtails twitched. "Is that true…? I think that happened to me, OMG!"

"Well, there are a bunch of other steps, but there is one of the final steps to the love bug's first phase."

"Ugh," Heejin groaned from under the covers, "how many phases did you come up with?"

"Come up with ? I learned all of this from my mother, and she's a highly renowned expert in women and how to conquer the heart back in her days. They had dinosaurs and Moses back then, it was a crazy time. " Hyejoo stares at the lump under the bed sheets, even if Heejin couldn't see it. "Stop interrupting my student and I!! ...Where was I again?"

Yerim quickly scans the colourful page on her notebook. "Uhh-- here! Something about the love bug's final steps to phase one."

"Correct!" Hyejoo dramatically jumps off the bed, putting both hands on her hips. "There is one step that everyone must definitely go through, and that is when the love bug starts to plague the mind."

"Huh? Plague? I-Isn't that a bad thing?" Concern raised in the brunette's voice.

"It can be either! But just note, once phase one ends, the intensity will only get tougher…” Hyejoo’s voice deepened, and a serious frown grew. “On the first day, their face pops up in your mind out of the blue, and it's all fine and dandy at first, until--”

A gasp. “Until??”

“Until the following days turned to weeks, and in serious cases, they turn to months! And all that runs in your head is the very face that you allowed into your thoughts!!”

Yerim went quiet, stroking her chin. It was a lot to take in.

“Is having the love bug really that terrible, Professor Ha?”

“Hm. Not exactly. You mostly have three options here, Yerim. Option one is to quickly recover from the bug’s bite by letting go of all the feelings attached. Option two is to pursue them and at least have closure, or three, let those feelings eat you away and forever leave you in a messy state.” Hyejoo puffs her cheeks on the pipe in her mouth. “And Yerim, I’d hate to see your blinding smile gone.”

“Where did you get that?” Yerim asked.

“Oh, this? Dunno, I just found it under the bed,” Hyejoo says. Blowing into it once more, transparent spheres float in the air. “See, bubbles!”

Yerim knew from day one that she was the type to crush easily, but that doesn't stop her from being the go-getter she is. There's no time for waiting around, she would say. Better to get rejected now than to chase for so long and be rejected later. In no timeline would Yerim ever let a puny bug take her down.

"Alright, girls. Now this is what I shall name Operation Hot Wheels!" Hyejoo pulled out a 

"Why is it called Hot Wheels?"

"Because skateboards have wheels and Yerim's got the hots for that skater girl, duh."

Yerim nodded her head in agreement. "Mmm. You aren't incorrect!"

"But isn't that a toy car brand?"

Hyejoo clicked her tongue. "Less questions, Heejin, more listening!!"

The great plan that Professor Ha had up her sleeve seemed like an elaborate one, even for Yerim, and she was all for being extra. In essence, it was simple, (the idea at least) but it was nowhere near the type of lowkey that Heejin liked.

"What I would like to suggest is for an extensive search."

"Huh?" Heejin scrunched her nose. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What part of less questions do you not understand?!"

"Okay, okay! Shutting up now."

Hyejoo stares daggers into Heejin who was currently holding the bed covers up past her nose but not past her eyes. Yerim shook her head at the exchange.

Heejin makes a gesture with her hand as if zipping her mouth shut. "Hmhm!" she hummed.

"An extensive search, though? Even to me that sounds like a bit much." Yerim tilted her head. "It's not like we can just run around and chase after a girl whose name we don't know!"

"Oh, but we can," Hyejoo says with a mischievous smile. "And this time, we can make further use of my--"

"We're not going to pull through with another push pins and strings map type of plan."

"But Heej--"

"The last time we did that, it was for your 'missing dog' that was hiding out in the garage. Those were wasted hours I could've used for a better time spent."

"Well how would I have known Olivia decided it was a good day to play hide and seek."

Yerim shook her head pensively. "Bichon Frises are known to be smart. She probably realized her main source of food was kind of a nut job."

"Hey!"

***

BlockBerry's, since 1980. The place is almost at its fourth decade, and its shared all sorts of memories, even from before Yerim was born. Its gone through a few renovations to keep up with the modern image, but Yerim still remembers it as their place. She, Heejin, and Hyejoo's number one hangout. They've gone there so much that the owner of the old place, Mr.Jeong, treated them as if they were his own granddaughters, and their parents as his own, of course.

Their closeness led to Mr.Jeong offering Yerim a job there for the summer since he needed the extra help, and Yerim was more than excited to accept. Heejin and Hyejoo were given the chance to work there too, but Hyejoo tended to get distracted easily and Heejin would get irked at any spot of dirt to the point that she'd spend almost an entire shift cleaning the shop and nothing else. That left Yerim to attend to the customers alone. Not that she didn't like it, though. Human interactions are what kept the girl going.

For an ice cream shop, it sure does get warm inside easily. Sometimes the air conditioner would act up, leaving the girls a hot mess with ice cream dripping all over the tables (which Yerim or Heejin always had to clean up with a tight-lipped smile directed at Hyejoo whenever she slacked off at cleaning duty). It was something that Mr.Jeong should really put more money into fixing.

"Man, if I were ice cream, I'd be able to cool myself way better," Hyejoo said, trying to balance a coin on its side on the counter beside Yerim, who was absentmindedly playing around with the cashier.

With a wrinkle of her nose, Heejin snorted. "Ice cream doesn't cool itself."

"Uh, yeah, it does."

"How would that even work?"

Hyejoo snickers, stopping the coin's twirling by slapping it down with the palm of her hand. It was enough to startle Yerim out of her trance. "Like most cold things, the cold air radiates off of it, and it comes right back, so it becomes an endless cycle of coldness and never melts unless enough warmth is projected on it, you know?"

"You-- I don't-- _WHAT_ ?!" Yerim noticed the wrinkles that grew between Heejin's brows everyday. "That's completely how _not_ it happens!"

"Of course it is, why do you think icebergs still exist after 65 billion years ago? And they're gonna survive the next billions of years since global warming is just something the government fabricated so we could put in our money into all those," Hyejoo raises both hands to air quote, "'green products' that's being produced. It's all about capitalism nowadays, tsk."

If it weren't for those visors that they wore as a part of the uniform, Yerim wouldn't have missed the twitch in Heejin's eye. Not that Hyejoo would've seen it either way since she was fixated on balancing the coin on a pinky now.

"That's not even the right amount of time icebergs have-- !! Wait-- are you saying you don't believe in climate change?!"

"It's all just fake news anyway."

" _YOU--_ !"

It was a typical scene for Yerim, and it happened outside of the BlockBerry's just as often. It's gotten to the point where Yerim could easily tune their nonsensical banter out. Anyone with working eyes knew that Hyejoo loved getting a kick out of Heejin, even victim herself knew, but Heejin's need to correct Hyejoo's factually incorrect statements overpowers her. One day, when Hyejoo meets the right person, Yerim has no doubt that she could manage to convince someone that the Earth was flat. She's kind of convinced that the girl had already joined a flat earther's group on Facebook to plot her hijinks.

Yerim sighed, leaning over the cash register, arms dangling everywhere. While Heejin tried to reach for Hyejoo's collar over the counter, Yerim returned to playing around with the buttons.

It was quite a busy day, wasn't it? Yerim laughed at the thought. The shop was empty, as per usual. Customers that did come never stayed for too long, ordering the ice cream and leaving right after. The ones that did stay for more than five minutes didn't come by frequently. At least that left room for the girls to goof off, not that it helped with the business. 

BlockBerry's was your local ice cream shop. Nothing more, nothing less. If not for the nostalgia, people come in to cool off from the heat. Until they realized there isn't much of a difference inside compared to the outside.

It's unfortunate that the shop wasn't as lively as it had been all those years ago, in the stone age that their parents lived in.

"...I wish I'd see more people around here."

"We're more people."

A voice that wasn't either Heejin or Hyejoo's startled Yerim, and her shriek caught the other two's attention.

Another second passed, and Yerim was still stuck in a crane position that she reflexively went into. Adjusting her visor, she took a look at the blonde In front of her, soft eyes and hair tied back in a tight ponytail. From beside her, a brunette leaned on the counter with her back turned towards Yerim, both carrying skateboards.

"Oh!" It didn't take too long for Yerim to return to her high-spirited self. "Welcome to BlockBerry's, your place for icy delights, may I take your order?" she asked as she shooed the other two away since they didn't seem like in the working mood again, but Hyejoo begrudgingly walked over to the buckets of ice cream, her scooper in hand as Heejin went back to cleaning a smudge off a table.

The blonde scanned the menu before giving an answer, asking for a moment to think. Yerim waited patiently, the smile on her face never faltering.

"Hm. Tough choices. What do you think we should get, Yeojin?"

She turned to her friend, tapping her shoulder to get her attention instead of just playing whatever game there is on her phone.

"Huh, what?"

"Flavours, dude. We're here for a cool treat and chillax!"

Yerim couldn't help but giggle over the blonde's voice. She sounded very soft spoken, yes, but her pitch was on another level. If Yerim were to describe it, crunchy would probably be the best word she could use.

It suited her dainty appearance. Her skin was like porcelain, and there were hints of blush on her cheeks, but the longer Yerim stared, it looks like her cheeks were naturally tinted pink, and she’s sure Hyejoo can tell with the way she was staring as well.

_Is Hyejoo wearing blush today?_

"Hey bro, what do you recommend for us to choose?" Yeojin asked Hyejoo casually, snapping her out of it whatever world she was in. "I ain't really been here before, so I got no clue which ones are good, you know?"

Hyejoo looked over the tubs of ice cream on display before lazily pointing at a pinkish coloured one. "Very Berry. Every kid loves it, can't go wrong."

"Yeah, Yeojin here'll love it then."

"You ain't even two centimeters taller than me!"

As their light argument over heights continued, Yerim's eyes widened. Lo and behold, after only a few days, the very girl that almost gave her a heart attack stood only a few feet away from her. She didn’t even have to use the string map that Heejin was so very against.

"H-Hey, you're the girl with the skateboard, right?"

Surprise crossed the girl's face. "Yo, it's Pigtails! And your head is still as purple as last time."

Hyejoo stared at Yeojin with a knowing look, a sly smirk growing. Her lips opened up to say "Oh? Why, you're the one who got my Yerim all tongue-tied?" Hyejoo skipped over to the brunette's side, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You know, she's been dying to find out who you were since that fated day."

"SHH!" Yerim whipped a hand out, slapping it over Hyejoo's mouth.

Yeojin raised her brow. "That so?"

"Ahaha, totally!" Nervous laughter escaped Yerim's lips. "It was a pretty memorable meeting!" she said whilst fighting back the urge to make a face due to the feeling of Hyejoo's tongue against her palm.

Yeojin held her chin between her index and thumb, striking a confident pose. "Hehe, that was a pretty sick trick I did."

"Well, I only saw your land… or it was more of a crash, actually."

"Hhaha! Pigtails saw you take an L, admit it, Yeojin. She may not be able to pop an ollie, but she sure as hell can pop your ego.”

"Shut up, Chae, that joke is as stale as my grandma."

"Hmm." Hyejoo pried Yerim's hand off. "So you two skateboard, huh." She leaned in closer over the counter, squinting at the boards in their hands before looking at the blonde over. 

Yeojin's friend turned her attention to Hyejoo, recovering from the slap to the back that Yeojin gave her, showing off a gummy smile.

"Hell yeah we do! Skateboarding isn’t just a hobby though, it’s a lifestyle to live by.” Chaewon leaned an elbow over the counter as well, now at eye level of Hyejoo. “Out in our world, the name’s Gowon--"

"I ain't ever once heard anyone call you that--"

"Because all I can ever do is GO GO GO!!” The blonde slammed both hands onto the counter. “I love the feeling of the wind against each strand of my hair, every twist and turn I can make, that feeling of fulfillment when I land perfectly! It’s all about the thrill, and that’s what I’m all up for!”

“Yeah? I’m all about the thrill, too. Full of thrill, actually," Hyejoo says smugly.

Hyejoo and Chaewon hold their gazes at each other, and Yerim is stuck in between. She looks over to Heejin who was now fussing over another table but catches her eyes. Heejin gave her a look as if to say she’s overheard everything, shrugging her shoulders.

“You? Full of thrill? You don’t seem like the type who’s up for any challenge.”

“Totally am.” Hyejoo folded her arms over her chest. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, they say. I'll have you know that I stayed up until five in the morning once playing video games. I'm fully suited for sleepovers!”

Yerim shifts uncomfortably, switching her focus between the blonde and her friend, to Yeojin who looked indifferent to the situation, and to Heejin, who made her way back to their side of the shop. Yerim stares hard at Heejin and mouths the words “Are they just gonna...?”

“Very Berry!!” Heejin abruptly says. “That was your orders righ-- oh, sorry, did I interrupt something? It’s just that it’d be terrible of us to hold up our customers."

The look of annoyance Hyejoo gave didn't hinder Heejin from using the scooper on the bucket of Very Berry ice cream. When she was finished whipping up the orders, she hands them over to Yerim and rushes past the counter to resume cleaning, squirt bottle and rag in hand.

"Er…" Yerim holds the cones out for each of the girls. "Two Very Berry waffle cones, that'll be a total of eight dollars and fifty cents, please," Yerim says as they take the cones from her.

“It’s on us!”

Yerim turned to Hyejoo, confusion spread across her face. “Uh, what?”

"This looks like the start of a wonderful friendship, don't you think so?" Hyejoo smiled, although to Yerim, it always looked like a smirk. "How about my buddy and I cover the costs of the ice cream, and in return, you two get to hang out with us, so our boring summer life can spice up a little."

"We get to hang out with you two? You make it sound like it's a privilege, Blue-Tips."

"Oh? We're on nickname level now? This friendship is blossoming already, Wonnie!"

It should be about the third time that Yerim had looked over to Heejin for help, and it was about the third time that Heejin had to dismiss the poor girl's pleading eyes. Not involved, not her problem. Maybe not for now, at least.

Yeojin, already taking a lick of her free ice cream, threw a hand on Yerim's shoulder, shocking her in surprise. "Free food! I'll take it!"

"Uh," Yerim gulped, "yeah! Come again, but next time you'll have to pay, aha…"

"Since you two treated us, why don't we treat you then?"

The blonde scratched her cheek. "What? I'm hella broke right now."

"Then why'd you suggest on going around town and eat??"

"Thought maybe you wouldn't mind paying for me for showing you around," Chaewon shrugged.

"...That's not what we agreed to! Anyway," Yeojin squinted at Yerim's name tag, "Yerim, the names Yeojin, I'm new around here, and I wanna get to know more people than just this blondie and a furry. Wanna hang some time?"

Yerim did recall saying she wanted to meet the girl that almost took her head off again, but she didn't think it would be this easy, nor did she think they would be planning to hang out any time soon.

"Hang? Yes! I-- totally sounds cool!" Yerim nodded so enthusiastically that Hyejoo felt her face burn from how bright she looked.

"Coolio, give me your number so I can contact you," the brunette said as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket.

Yerim held the device in her hands, typing away, checking and rechecking to make sure the numbers were in the correct order.

Once the exchange was done, Chaewon pulled out her phone too, although it was in Hyejoo’s direction.

“Here,” she said.

Hyejoo quirked a brow. “You want my number too?”

“I mean, how am I supposed to know if your presence is thrilling or not. Just need to know if you’re legit, you know?” Chaewon waved her phone in the girl’s face, “So, your number?”

The smirk on Hyejoo’s face slowly turned into a smile. She reaches out to grab the phone, and Chaewon jumps slightly when Hyejoo’s finger grazes hers. The way the blonde scrunches her nose amuses Hyejoo, stifling a laugh while she puts down her contact name, remembering to add a little black heart at the end.

“Hope to see you two soon for things other than icy delights,” Hyejoo says, tipping her visor.

“As long as the ice cream is free, sure!”

Yerim tips her visor as well, following Hyejoo’s steps. “You’ll have to bring your own money next time, Yeojin!”

The smaller girl drooped her shoulders jokingly but beamed brightly soon after. Ice cream in one hand and skateboard in the other, the girls took off, but not before looking back and throw a wave that Yerim and Hyejoo reciprocated.

A ring echoed the shop when the door closed. 

Over to the side, Heejin sat cross legged, head propped up on an elbow, shaking her head while watching her friends lean on the counter and simultaneously let out a sigh. The sight made her cringe and her fingers itched to use the spray bottle on them. But alas, she doesn’t.

“Are you two gonna be like that the entire time?”

“Yep!”

“Yep.”

They were already in the same situation before Yeojin and Chaewon came in anyway, so change wasn’t really expected.

Shrugging to herself, Heejin folds her arms and releases a sigh of her own.

“God, I hope our shift ends soon…”


	2. welcome to munchie's froyo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter will be a little shorter but it introduces hyunjin at least! i've been busy with working on summer school assignments but i managed to get this much done so phew

Hyunjin huffed and puffed as she gasped for air, hunched over and pushing on her knees for support. It was getting extremely stuffy and she could feel her hair sticking to her skin as if the sweat was an adhesive.

Using the few strength she had left, she dared to look out the window, the sun visible behind the moving clouds. It wasn't _that_ sunny, and it wasn't blaring hot, but the suit trapped in all the hot air that her body emitted and made it way more humid than it should've been. It didn't help that she had to chase a few kids around when they tried to mess with her. 

Munchie's Froyo held birthday parties, and the ones that had such parties usually ranged between five and ten year olds. If it weren't for the current weather and annoying kids she had to entertain, Hyunjin would have liked this job far more than she does now.

Despite all the negatives that come with this job, Hyunjin summoned every bit of energy she had stored within her to force herself not to jump out of her giant fursuit and stuff a child or two in there. It was very tempting, and Hyunjin itched to do it, but she had just gotten the job about a week ago and she didn't want to lose it just yet. Getting fired from attempted child murder wouldn't be good for her reputation.

Just as Hyunjin starts to straighten up, she feels a tug where her tail would be. Turning around, she was ready to shoo away another seven year old boy but she was instead face to face with her co-worker's brown eyes, Hyunjin only being a few centimetres taller.

“Woah, easy there _Munchkin_ , you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Thanks Nancy, I’m so glad you noticed.” Hyunjin twists the large cat head and lifts it up, feeling relief as she felt the fresh air on her now exposed neck-- until it was forced back on her. “Hey! Are you trying to kill me? I’m dying here, remember? D Y I N G!!”

Nancy rolls her eyes as she lets out a cackle. “Well you’re the one who wanted the fursuit job. I don’t know why you were so enthusiastic about it the first time, but we’re all very much grateful you chose to carry the team for us, Hyunjin.”

“There's an art to fursuits! Just not the best to wear for summer weather.”

“Summer weather or not, the kids wanna see their beloved Munchkin dancing with them, not crouched in a corner looking all depressed.”

If Hyunjin could, she’d have already rolled her eyes, but there’s no need putting energy into it if Nancy wouldn’t even be able to see. “Those brats are more into the frozen yogurt anyway."

"Hyunjin."

"What?"

"Get back to that table."

"Yes ma'am," Hyunjin says, saluting as she straightens out.

Hyunjin was a person of many different interests and skills. She was a competitive. Extremely. There was almost no sports team that Hyunjin didn't join, and her grades made her a teacher's favourite. But being a smart jock isn’t all there is to Hyunjin.

Everytime she would pass by Munchie’s Froyo, she would see the signature mascot, Munchkin, the sailor cat.

Her mind would always go back to the ginger-haired cat and its white and blue sailor outfit. It just looked so… _fluffy_ and _cute_ !

Working for some highly commercialized frozen yogurt place wasn’t on Hyunjin’s bucket list (not that there was much on it in the first place, she was more of a ‘go with the flow’ kind of girl), but those large, green eyes spiritually pulled her towards applying to Munchie’s Froyo.

Now, wearing the mascot costume was a dream, but playing around with the kids? Not so much.

_Children… they’re the epitome of my nightmares._

So, was Hyunjin living her dreams or living her nightmares? She doesn’t know herself either, but she does know that she can’t wait to get out soon.

As her time as Munchkin the sailor cat comes to an end, Hyunjin could already feel the soft touch of her bed. The memory foam in her pillows hugging her head tightly while she can already feel the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Purifier Heater Fan wafts cool air against her face.

Hyunjin took the large cat head off with slumped shoulders. It felt like a huge relief, finally feeling the fresh air through her nostrils. Or as fresh as the air can be inside Munchie’s Froyo. They had an air conditioner, but it only reached as far as the cash register, which was to the farther back of the shop.

Whatever. All Hyunjin needed to do was get out of there and then FREEDOM. 

She takes off her hair tie, detangling the strands by running her fingers through, and wow did she sweat. Grabbing an unnecessary handful of napkins from the nearest table, Hyunjin wiped away at her forehead. She continued at it before turning her attention to the big windows at the front, feeling a pair of eyes on her. It was then that she made eye contact with a girl.

The girls mouth gaped open, and she wore a confused look on her face, and it seemed that she was with friends, although the other two had been conversing with each other whilst the girl was lost in thought. It took her a second to realize that Hyunjin had been staring back, and she jumped slightly from the surprise. Her friends look at her weirdly and pull her away.

Well. That was weird.

“Hyunjin? You should be getting changed at the back, not where the customers can see you.”

“Ughhh, I just needed my fresh air. It’s only the head I took off anyway.” Hyunjin points a paw at Nancy. “And where were you exactly? Shouldn’t you have been behind the register.”

“I was at the back.”

“Doing what?”

“...Cleaning?”

“Were you trying to watch Disney movies again.”

“Yeah.”

Time passed and finally, Hyunjin could do as she pleased, running out of the wretched frozen yogurt store eagerly. Of course, she waved Nancy goodbye, but the other was too distracted with attempting to count the number of toppings there were in each container there was.

It’s a little over three in the afternoon, and Hyunjin knows the one place to go to. The new bakery that opened up just a couple minutes walk away. 

Bread, the most important thing in Hyunjin’s life (among other things). At any cost, she will achieve her beloved before heading home. What kind of bread shall she get? If she had the chance, maybe one of each type they’ll have presented at the bakery.

There was a skip to Hyunjin’s step as she walked along the pavement, humming to herself.

Her friends promised they would stop by Munchie’s, but for some reason they didn’t. It was irking, to say the least, but that meant Hyunjin managed to pass a day without her friends teasing her for the choices she’s made. There’s nothing wrong with finding joy in dressing up as anthropomorphic animals!

When Hyunjin had finally reached the bakery, the smell of freshly made bread punched her in the face. But softly. It was a soft punch. Nice and soft. It was a smell that Hyunjin would buy as a perfume for more than just the shits and giggles of it.

What to choose first? Maybe the custard, maybe the sausage buns? First thing she sees she’ll just add it onto her tray. 

Hyunjin taps the tongs on the edge of the tray, eager to make herself feel full. The frozen yogurt she has to sell will never be as satisfying as the variety of textures she can get from bread.

As she waits in line after finishing up throwing as many buns as she can on her tray, Hyunjin pulls out her phone to see a bunch of text messages she received.

_Chaewon: Yoyo!!_

Of course.

_Chaewon: Where you at? Girlie and I got caught up in some stuff, but we’re free now :D_

__

Hyunjin pouts. Her friends were more than an hour later than they promised. Despite being the petty person Hyunjin is, she decides not to ignore the message and reply three days later this time.

__

_Hyunjin: I’m getting this bread._

__

_Chaewon: I thought you finished working at the shop already??_

__

_Hyunjin: Not that kind of bread. I mean the good bread._

__

_Chaewon: Pleeeease nothing can be better than a phat stack of cash._

__

_Hyunjin: The sole reason I got this stupid job is to help fund for my love of bread._

____

_Chaewon: Not for a full fursuit?_

____

_Hyunjin: Duh, I need that too, but for now some carbs would make me feel good._

____

_Chaewon: Ohhhh you're at that bakery yeah?_

____

_Hyunjin: The new one, just near the froyo shop :9_

____

_Chaewon: Aight, Yeo and I'll wait for you at the park. Same place as usual >:]_

____

_Hyunjin: I'm not sharing any bread with you._

____

_Chaewon: D: <_

____

_Hyunjin: :3_

____

Shoving her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, Hyunjin turns her attention back to the line. She's only a few more people away. Hyunjin is about to focus her attention elsewhere, but the sound of bantering voices caused her to snap out of her daze. 

____

It was a group of girls just at the corner of the store, right beside the register where Hyunjin was currently lined up at, making it easy for her to overhear. Although she would have probably heard them even if she was on the other side of the bakery. 

____

"Seriously, just pick something already!" a tired voice said.

____

A slightly deeper voice whined, "You can't just rush me, Hyejoo! It's six buns for nine dollars, so I should choose wisely."

____

"But Heejin, it's been twenty minutes and you're still deciding," said a third.

____

That sounds like a rowdy bunch, Hyunjin thinks. Although she wouldn't say her group was any better. 

____

The first girl, the one with the tips of her hair dyed blue, Hyunjin noticed, leaned her head back and groaned. "Ughhhh just let me pay for everything then, get more than six. Pay me back whenever."

____

"Well why didn't you say so? Now I can get one of everything!"

____

"That's not what I--"

____

The other girl steps to the side, but immediately freezes when she and Hyunjin's eyes meet.

____

What a surprise. 

____

Hyunjin's brow raised. It was the same girl that she saw outside the window from before, and she had that same look on her face that Hyunjin couldn't really tell the meaning behind.

____

"Excuse me--"

____

She whipped her head to the cashier, breaking the contact.

____

"Excuse me?"

____

"Ah, yeah. Sorry," Hyunjin says, shaking her head to get her back into the moment.

____

Without another thought, Hyunjin walked out of the bakery, both hands occupied by the plastic bags carrying her assortment of buns.

____

While making her way to her group of friends, Hyunjin couldn’t help but have that girl’s weird expression on her mind. Did she do something to offend her? That may be likely, since she caught her dressed up in the fursuit at the shop. People these days.

____

____

***

____

____

“Do it. Do it do it do it--”

____

“Hyejoo, I’m not asking her out! I barely even know her!”

____

“You’re so stale, Yerim. For such a happy-go-lucky girl, you’re just no fun sometimes.”

____

"Because I'm the only one with decency."

____

"Are you implying I don't??"

____

"You threatened your mom after she said she's not getting you that fifty dollar gift card for League."

____

Hyejoo puffed strands of hair that fell on her face. "I _need_ those Lux skins!!"

____

They just finished up with BlockBerry’s and still her friends were gushing over the two that visited the shop. Heejin didn’t get it. They were weird, and she could easily say that they matched those levels equally.

____

Heejin’s pace was slower than Yerim and Hyejoo’s, but just quick enough so she wouldn’t fall behind. These damned sidewalks are just not fit for three.

____

Shoving her hands into her pants’ pockets, Heejin’s eyes roam around. Will they ever shut up? No. Will they ever shut up about Yeojin and Go…? What was her name again? Ah, yes, Chaewon, or whatever her name was. For all the years she’s known Yerim and Hyejoo, they really never understood the meaning of ‘shut up’ despite all the times she’s repeated it for them. Of course they had their quiet moments, and those seconds always felt like a blessing, but seconds don’t last long.

____

Heejin groaned, hoping for the topic of their conversation to change soon.

____

As they continued their walk, they near a frozen yogurt shop that they usually pass by, their main rival of BlockBerry’s. It was fairly new, only about two decades older than Mr. Jeong’s shop. The business grew very quickly, becoming one of the top chains. They didn’t sell ice cream, but frozen yogurt. In a cup. A cup! Have people forgotten the satisfying taste and crunch of cones in a short amount of years?

____

Whatever, she and her friends and family will never set foot in that disgraceful place. Loyalty is all that matters, and she’s sure to stay loyal to Mr. Jeong and his business. He’s old and not capable of doing as much as he used to, taking longer coffee breaks at the back of the shop (which is why he wasn’t present while the skateboarders came in), but they do their best to support him.

____

Once they passed the front of the shop, Heejin squinted her eyes when she saw something through the big windows. She stopped in her tracks for a moment, wondering what it was. To her surprise, it was someone holding a giant cat head in a fursuit with sailor style clothing. 

____

Heejin knew Munchie’s Froyo had a mascot, but she didn’t think they had a literal suit.

____

She watched as the person ran their hand through their hair and wiped at what seemed like sweat running down their face. She squinted harder, leaning into the glass a little, and upon close inspection, the person was another girl. And even with the mess that she looked after wearing that huge head, Heejin couldn’t help but think she was kind of good looking. Kind of. She can’t see the girl inside too clearly.

____

It didn’t take too long for the girl to meet eyes with Heejin, and she felt like she was caught doing something wrong. She lets out a small gasp, and the two in front stopped to turn around and look at her.

____

“Uh, Heejin? C’mon, I wanna get some buns before they’re all gone.” Hyejoo grabbed Heejin’s hand and tugged her away.

____

Yerim bounced as she walked beside them, now barely managing to fit three on the sidewalk with Heejin inbetween. Shoulders bumped and arms were linked, but it's not like they were shy from affection.

____

"Huh? What do you mean, buns?"

____

"Have you not been listening?" Yerim squeezed her arm. "That new bakery! It didn't open too long ago, we should go!"

____

Hyejoo poked a soft spot on Heejin's shoulder. "They have a sale. Six for nine, no tax!"

____

"Is that really the best sale, though? That means it's almost two dollars just for one. What if they aren't that good?"

____

"I swear you must have a secret Yelp account or something, you always gotta say stuff like this," Hyejoo said.

____

"What?? Of course I don't!" Heejin started, "I just write reviews on Google whenever a notif asks me to do it on places we've visited."

____

Yerim laughed, at her friend. "Let's go, Heej, try things once first so we know how things are before hand. If the bakery isn't that good, then we're not going back."

____

Heejin looked at her friend's pleading eyes, and anyone who's met the girl knows that they can't resist the literal sun.

____

"...I never said I wasn't going!"

____

The bakery welcomed them with the scent of freshly made bread, and Heejin wasn't going to lie and say she didn't like it. Who wouldn't like that scent? Tasteless people, that's for sure.

____

"Hey, you guys got what you want?"

____

"Yep!” Hyejoo pops up with a tray full of six of the exact same sausage bun. She notices the judgy look in her friends’ eyes and shifts her feet into a guarded stance. “What, am I not allowed to enjoy? These are good!”

____

“Oooookay, well, I’ve got my choices, but we’re still waiting for you, Heejin,” Yerim said.

____

Heejin brought stroked her chin. “Hmm, I don’t know. I’m still not sure with what I want to get.”

____

“Seriously,” Hyejoo rolled her eyes, “Just get something already!”

____

Heejin tsked back. “You can’t just rush me, Hyejoo! It’s six buns for nine, so I should choose wisely!”

____

"But Heejin, it's been twenty minutes and you're still deciding," Yerim whined.

____

With a sigh, Hyejoo nudged Heejin with the edge of her tray. "Ughhhh just let me pay for everything then, get more than six. Pay me back whenever."

____

"Well why didn't you say so? Now I can get one of everything!"

____

"That's not what I--"

____

As Heejin steps to the side to actually progress on the bun collecting, she notices a girl staring straight at her direction.

____

Normally, Heejin would've dismissed it and assumed the stranger was looking through her and not at her, but all she could do was stand there in shock at the fact that some pretty girl (who was standing in line, oblivious to the cashier who was now waving her hands to get the girl's attention), so much as noticed her.

____

But it was just a coincidence, right? Heejin was standing directly in front of a sign that promoted something about a free cup of coffee along with any twelve buns purchased (which sounded ridiculous to Heejin since she wouldn't get why anyone would buy that many for free coffee, but since Hyejoo is paying, she might as well take this).

____

"Excuse me?"

____

"Ah--"

____

With that, the mysterious girl ran off, out of the bakery.

____

A hand waved in front of Heejin's face.

____

"Hellooooo?" Hyejoo shook her head. "Sheesh, I just don't get you sometimes. Too many things go on in your head."

____

"Me? I'm probably the most sane and reasonable out of all of us in this trio!"

____

"Well, I have the most decency!" Yerim cupped her face with one hand, the other still holding onto the tray, a content smile on her face. "And I'm way more popular than you two."

____

“Being popular with school staff isn’t the same, Yerim.”

____

“You can’t say much, Hyejoo!”

____

____

***

____

____

“You ass!”

____

“Me?!” The blonde pointed at herself with a shocked expression. “Yeojin here’s the one who got a little sidetracked, actually.”

____

Hyunjin grumbled as she bit into her custard bun, taking a few seconds to chew before grumbling, “I was ditched.”

____

“Stop being such a wuss, Hyun, we’ll come stop by next time, aight?” Yeojin said, sitting cross-legged on the skateboard with a cone in hand.

____

“Gasp.”

____

“You’re not supposed to say the sound effects out loud--”

____

“Gasp!” Hyunjin snatched the cone from Yeojin’s hand, earning an angry pout from her. “You two ditched me for BlockBerry’s!”

____

“Hey! Give it back!”

____

Chaewon shrugs her shoulders, slowly circling around Hyunjin on her skateboard.

____

The three stood around, bored out of their mind. There wasn’t a skatepark in the entire area, at least none near where any of them lived. So now they’re stuck at a standard parks and parking lots, having to minimize the stunts they pull. 

____

(Even though Yeojin did try something that one time she crashed into Yerim, but that was a one time thing. For now.)

____

Ever since Chaewon tried to skate through a construction site because she thought it’d make a great video to upload, Hyunjin recalled that the blonde’s parents requested of her to keep an eye out and let them know about any mischief she’s up to. And Chaewon knows how easily Hyunjin would trade her soul for even half a piece of bread, so it may be best to refrain from trying anything.

____

“We didn’t ditch you, Hyun, just got a little sidetracked, yeah?”

____

Hyunjin held onto the belt loop of Chaewon’s denim shorts. “You guys barely go there, what made you go now?”

____

“No reason,” Yeojin mumbled, now distracted by something on her phone.

____

Chaewon grinned widely. “It’s ‘cuz Yeo saw her crush at that shop,” she said in a sing-song tone.

____

“Not a crush!”

____

“Oh, sure, and you’re _totally_ not stressing over if you should text her now or not.”

____

Hyunjin’s ears perked. 

____

Unhooking her index from Chaewon’s belt loop, she hopped onto a parking block, tip-toeing her way to Yeojin.

____

“So _that’s_ why you wanted to go to that ice cream shop, that girl you kept talking about works there.”

____

Yeojin looked up. She crossed her arms and shook her head. “I’m the new one here, so I’ve never been to it. Why not try something new, unlike you. From the pictures I saw, you’ve had the same hairstyle for the past ten years!”

____

“You looked through my pictures??” Hyunjin whipped her head to the blonde, narrowing her eyes.

____

“What? If Yeo here is gonna join our crew, she’s gotta learn about our past! So I showed her you and my childhood pictures.” A gummy smile widened on Chaewon’s face. “It’s just all the ones you sent me anyway.”

____

Yeojin nodded her head in affirmation.

____

“Well, not everyone wants space buns or blonde hair!”

____

“I thought you wanted to dye your hair blonde?”

____

“That’s besides the point right now!”

____

“What’s the point--?”

____

Chaewon was interrupted when a half eaten waffle cone was chucked at her face, some remnants of melted very berry ice cream stained her usual polished face.

____

“Uegh!” Chaewon sticks her tongue out in disgust. “Why’d you do that?!”

____

“I just realized now that I was still holding it.”

____

“So you decided to _throw_ it?!”

____

“I needed you to shut up, too.”

____

“My waffle cone! I didn’t even get to finish it!” Yeojin punched Hyunjin’s shoulder, although it wasn’t hard enough to cause any pain. “You could have at least let me get a bite in before you threw it.”

____

“A waffle cone isn’t what’s important here, it’s the fact that your crush works at my rival shop!”

____

Chaewon wiped the melted ice cream off her face using a handkerchief she usually stuffs in her back pocket. “You only care about wearing the fursuit, Hyunjin.”

____

“You’re highly correct, but as a matter of fact, I care about business too. No customers, no pay, which means all of my efforts to not strangle a child were in vain.”

____

“That last part kinda worries me.”

____

“There’s nothing to be worried about, Yeojin! The paws don’t have thumbs, so it’s almost impossible to wrap my hands around their necks.”

____

“I don’t like where this is going!!”

____

“Oh my gosh,” Hyunjin sighs, running a hand through her hair, “you two are no fun.”

____

“Uh!! Anyway,” Chaewon hops off her skateboard and skips towards a panic-stricken Yeojin (who was noticeably inching away from Hyunjin), “what we’re gonna do is help get my bro get a GIRL!”

____

“We are?”

____

“No, not _you_ we, I mean Hyunjin and I type of we.”

____

“We are?”

____

“Yes, Hyunjin, you’re the other half of we.”

____

Yeojin stroked her chin, actually giving it a thought. “What’s the master plan?”

____

“I’d like to suggest the name Operation Icy!”

____

“How original,” Hyunjin shot down.

____

“Then, Operation Sticky Situation! Step one, we--”

____

“Chaewon, I swear to God, we’re not going to use duct tape again to--”

____

...

____

“...Step one! Yeojin shows off her suaveness through text. Girls love the confidence, the CHARM.” Chaewon hooks her arm around Yeojin’s neck. “Make yourself seem cool.”

____

“But I _am_ cool!”

____

“Bro, it’s almost evening, and we literally fulfill the image of delinquent skateboarders looking all sketchy in this park’s parking lot.”

____

Hyunjin chimed in, “and we littered, so there’s that to add on.”

____

“That was you!” Yeojin threw an accusing finger up at the taller girl, who merely held her hands up in defence.

____

“No footage, no evidence.”

____

Hyunjin belted a laugh, hands on her hips. It echoed in the air, and all Chaewon and Yeojin could do was look at her in disbelief and feel defeated.

____

As the laughter died down, Yeojin spoke up, “I never liked waffle cones anyway.”

____

“Then why’d you order it?” Chaewon asked.

____

“Neither of us did, they just gave it to us.” Yeojin waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, I didn’t wanna make Yerim redo it.”

____

“Whipped!”

____

“Shut up, Hyunjin!”

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 DONE
> 
> next chapter will focus on hyewon, and hopefully by then since my classes will end soon it'll be a bit longer (and will introduce the parents)
> 
> leave a comment or say hi on twt @ideallyves

**Author's Note:**

> yeah i started another multi chap fic, i'm tired, come say hi on twitter/curiouscat @ideallyves


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